Account of a Book, viz.

be an acceptable service, for the Honour of the Nation, and of that Colledge in particular, and of the Royal Society. But I must beg your Pardon for this long Digression: And subscribe myself, an Humble Servant of the Royal Society; And Yours to serve you, John Wallis. IV. Account of a Book, viz. Aloysi Ferdinandi Comit. Marigli Danubialis operis Prodromus. Ad Regiam Societatem Anglicanam. Fol. 1700. The Author of this Prodromus hath given several proofs of his great Abilities in this part of Learning, as in his Osservazioni entorno al Bosforo Tracio, Printed at Rome in 4to. 1681. In his Dissertatione Epistolare del Fosforo minerale, o Sia della Pietra illuminabile Bolognese, at Leipsick in 4to cum fig. 1698. The Piece now before us is only a Plan or Model of a great Work, which Signor Marigli is carrying on in six large Volumes in Fol. Imperial Paper, which he designs to dedicate to the present Emperor of Germany, by whose Favour he was employed many years in the Turkish Wars, and continues to receive a noble Salary from the same hand. The first Tome is to contain the Geographical Part, illustrated with many Charts and actual Surveys of the Banks of the Danube, from its rise to its exit into the Euxine Sea, describing all along the Channels, Whirlpools, pools, Cataracts, the Rivers running into it, the Subterraneous communications, the increase and decrease of the Waters, all the Windings of the River, examin'd with Magnetick Needles, the Soundings and the Bottoms; noting also the adjacent Provinces, Cities, Towns, Villages, Castles, Islands, Fortifications, Bridges; the various Inhabitants, with their Origine's, Languages, Revolutions, Habits, and Manners; the Distances and Latitudes of the most remarkable Places, exactly taken with the best Instruments, wherein many Errors of Kepler and Ricciolus are Corrected. To these the Author will add his observations upon the Planets, the Eclipses, the variation of the Compass, especially near some Mines, as also his remarks upon the great variety of Springs. The Second Tome is to take in the Antiquities, as the Roman Castra with their Figures, Dimensions and Materials, the Aqueducts, Pillars, Arches, Roads, Inscriptions, Roman Bridges, Weights, Measures, Instruments, Urns, Medals, large Bones dug up in the Tumuli and Aggeres; together with other Monuments, especially Military ones, occasioned by the German and Dacic Wars. To this Volume will be annexed, large Accounts of the Roman Via out of Italy thro' Greece, Thrace, Myssa, Dacia and Pannonia; all Illustrated in Tables and Maps, whereby Antoninus, Peutinger and Begerius may receive great light. The Third Tome will be taken up with the varieties of Earths, Sands, Stones, Metals, Minerals, and other Fossils; examin'd Microscopically Chymically, Amongst the rest, the Author intends to be curious upon Crystals, and designs to give the Organick structure of the Mountains, with their Focus and Fissures, and the Modus of the Generation of Ores. In discoursing of Iron he intends to treat of Magnetism. He distinguishes xii sorts of Copper Ore, and promises dissertations on the Copper Fountains. He will give his experiments upon Silver Ores. Ores, and the Hungarian Gold, (esteem'd the best in the World) which is generally found pure, sometimes mixt in a white Stone, and often with other Metals. As for Marchasites and other Minerals, he says there is a rich collection of them in his Museum at Bononia. In this Tome, the Author designs a Charta Metallographica, in order to explain all the Mines he hath seen with their Ichnography. Volume 4th will be employ'd wholly upon the Fish, as well the Finn'd as the Crustaceous and Testaceous kinds, the Indigenous as well as Strangers, that come only at certain seasons, with their manner of Breeding; their external and internal parts will be describ'd, and the whole digested into many Tribes or Classes, and Illustrated with Elegant Icons. The method appears but little different from that deliver'd in the Ichthyography of Mr Willoughby and Mr Ray; yet many particulars may be set in a better light by the Authors having opportunities of viewing some Fishes, never seen by the fore-mentioned Writers. Some Anatomies are promis'd by Signior Marigli, especially of the Huso's, and some Amphibious Quadrupeds, that frequent the Danube. Tome 5th is to contain the Birds, whose distribution in this Prodromus varies not much from that of Mr Willoughby and Mr Ray in their Ornithology; the same may be said of this part as of the immediately foregoing. The Author promises Elegant Figures of the Non-descripts, especially the Heron kind, as the Ardea cinerea flavescens, N.D. Ardea viride-flavescens, N.D. Ardea fusca, N.D. The Himantopus, never seen by Mr Ray. At the end of this Volume there will be large Paralipomena upon Nests, Eggs, and the Ventricles of Birds, with several compleat Anatomies. Tome 6th is to comprehend the Plants, but what Improvements will be made to Bellonius, Clusius, and Mr Ray, this Prodromus doth not mention. However, in this this Volume the Ingenious Author is pleased to promise many Observations on the Weather, the Velocity of running Waters, the Physical qualities of the several sorts of Waters near the Danube; also a Dissertation upon the Skeletons of Elephants, as well as their single Bones, dug up in great quantities near and in the Roman Aggeres. Lastly, all the Insects of the Danube will be methodically rang’d, describ’d and figur’d, by the indefatigable hand of Signior Marsigli, who deserves all the encouragement that the Learned World can possibly give him. V. Extracts of some Letters to the Publisher, giving an Account of some Books now Printing and lately Printed in Italy, France, Germany, Holland and Scotland. Dr Marchini a Physician at Luca is now Writing the Natural History of the places within that small Commonwealth. Dr Baglivi at Rome, is Writing a Treatise de Successionibus Morborum. F. Plumier has finished his Book de Torno, or of turning, and is now about publishing a Catalogue of all the Plants found in France, the Title of it will be Botanicum Gallicum. He has ready 1400 designs of Plants belonging to this Work. Johannes Georgius Volckamerus, a Physician in Nurenberg, is busy in making Tables of the Affinity of Plants, which he promis’d in the Preface to his Flora Norimbergensis. In this Book he will follow a method directly contrary to that of Rivinus. At Leyden is now Printing Stephani Blancardi Lexicon Medicum.